Bowen to receive national award

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published 8:00 pm, Saturday, November 1, 2008

"It's been advocacy of creating an awareness of social justice, especially for the disadvantaged," she said.

But on Wednesday she'll get some national recognition for her work in Connecticut. She will travel to Albuquerque, N.M., to receive the Life Long Achievement Award from the National Council of Executive of The Arc, (formerly the Association of Retarded Citizens.)

"I didn't find out about it until after the fact," Bowen said of the surprise of learning she'd won the award. "I feel good about it."

"It's wonderful," said Lynn Warner, executive director of The Arc of Connecticut, which nominated Bowen for the national recognition. "If you had to pick one person out of a crowd, out of the world, to be an advocate for the disabled, it is Jean."

Beginning with a class action suit that began in 1994, WeCAHR, the Arc and other groups waged a legal battle that lasted more than a decade. Finally, in June 2008, Senior U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns ruled the state had not done enough to move residents of the school into the community.

"I hope I live long enough to see the people moved out of the school," Bowen said of the lengthy court proceeding.

In 2005, Bowen officially retired as WeCAHR's director, although she still shows up as a volunteer. Her main mission since then has been as the founder and housing consultant to Dream Homes Community Center. The group's goal is get people who were homeless or who have disabilities to own their own homes. Through Dream Homes, the Stetson Place condominium project on Padanaram Road committed 10 units for sale to people with disabilities.

"That's in the top three of the things I've done," she said.

Bowen said that the groups she's worked with have been able to achieve some success because they realized that the state's public policies often hindered the disabled rather than helped them.

"We are very well-schooled in policy. I know how to change policy," she said.

Warner said that Bowen is also tireless in her belief that the people with disabilities can lead full lives.

"She looks for every opportunity," Warner said. "Everything is always 'He can, she can.' I've never heard the word 'can't' come out of her mouth."